UK plans to end prosecutions for N Ireland 'Troubles' crimes

The U.K. government says it plans to introduce a statute of limitations for alleged crimes committed during decades of violence in Northern Ireland

LONDON -- The U.K. government announced Wednesday that it plans to introduce a statute of limitations for alleged crimes committed during decades of violence in Northern Ireland, a move that would end prosecution for killings by both British soldiers and members of militant groups. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told lawmakers in the House of Commons that the statute would “apply equally to all Troubles-related incidents.” He said the change reflected the increasing difficulty of prosecuting people for long-ago crimes. More than 3,500 people died — most of them civilians — during three decades of violence known as the “Troubles,” a three-way conflict involving Irish republican and British loyalist paramilitaries and U.K. troops. “We know that the prospect of the end of criminal prosecutions will be difficult for some to accept, and this is not a position we take lightly,” Lewis said.